The Betrayal: Book One of the Emperor's Chosen
by Warmaster Coyle
Summary: While fighting on a planet near the Eye of Terror young captain Jayms of the Dark Crusaders meets someone that he never thought he would meet and learns a terrible truth that could shatter the Imperium.
1. Chapter 1

The halls of the _Justified Fear_ echoed as Jayms walked through them. A ship crewman walked in front of him and stopped to look him in the face, or more accurately attempt to look him in the face. The crewman, when confronted by the enormousness that was an Adeptus Astartes Space Marine, had to crane his neck to see his face. As Jayms and the crewman stared each other down he heard a loud shout from farther down the hall. He turned to see sub-Commissar Kyl Yart running down the halls after him. Jayms sighed and turned to face him.

"Captain Jayms! I have been trying to reach you! Ship-commissar Smithon has requested your presence on the bridge. We are about to enter orbit around Quaer, but there is a problem that has come up."

Jayms smiled and nodded to Kyl and began walking towards the bridge. As he did he passed through the Space Marine barracks. There were only few Marines there, all the rest were roaming the ship or praying in the chapel. What few were there looked up at him and nodded their heads in respect. As Jayms left he could hear the sound of rustling and movement as his loyal Marines prepared for battle.

As he reached the doors to the bridge he halted for a second, not knowing why, and then shook his head and went through the door to the bridge. As he made his way up the winding stairway he paused to look at the various banners and pictures marking the illustrious life of the _Justified Fear_. He gazed upon portraits of its battles during the Horus Heresy, of its titanic fight against an Eldar Craftworld, and of its victory over the Chaos Warship _Torn Limb_. At the last he paused for a little longer, gazing at the smooth lines and built superstructure of the _Justified Fear_ in sharp contrast to the lumpy, organic look of the _Torn Limb_.

He hurried up the stairs and found the bridge a chaotic jumble. Crewman were running left and right, to and from their stations. And right in the middle of the fracas was the raised command platform. At the foot of the stairs stood ship-commissar Smithon, with a grimer look on his face than normal. As Jayms walked up to him he flicked his head towards the platform and Jayms began to walk up.

At the top of the platform, flanked on either side by Kasrkin guards, stood Admiral Yaris Jovavich. During the Black Crusade Admiral Jovavich had led the fleet that had pushed Chaos back into the Eye of Terror. His strategies and battle prowess were the things of legends and it was even rumored that the High Lords of Terra had granted him an audience to discuss that battle.

At the moment he was looking out the massive bridge view port, gazing at the stars and the nearby planet of Quaer. He also seemed to be deep in thought, his one human hand stroking the stubble growth on his chin, whilst his mechanical hand flexed open and closed with a faint crackling of electricity. When asked to describe the admiral many would say that he seemed to brood over the _Justified Fear_. Seeing him now, Jayms felt inclined to agree with them.

As the admiral turned to look at Jayms his Astartes hearing picked up the whirs as the admirals eye focused and refocused, as the lens were slipped into and out of place. As a look of recognition came over Yaris's countenance the look on his face grew grim. He gestured to the planet they were near.

"Do you know what planet we orbit Captain Jayms?"

"I believe it is Quaer admiral."

"Do you know why we orbit it?"

"Because the governor and the inhabitants have tried to rebel against the Imperium."

"What do you propose we do about that?"

At this Jayms' face grew tight and the corners of his mouth turned upward in a vicious smile.

"Teach them the error of their ways."

The admiral nodded and then turned back towards the view port.

"And what would you propose we do if I told you that we have detected the taint of Chaos on the planet?"

At this Jayms was taken aback. There had been no indication that the taint of Chaos had been the reason why the planet had rebelled. His smile turned into a snarl of disgust and anger as the full extent of what the admiral had just said was brought into light.

"We make them regret it sir."

The admiral smiled. He turned back towards Jayms and stepped closer to him.

"I like the sound of that Captain. I am prepared to drop you and your marines as well as the 729th Valhallan Regiment and the entirety of Legio Titanicus. I want that world brought to heel as soon as possible."

The admiral stopped and turned back around to point at a distant, but not so distant, bright flare against the backdrop of space.

"We are too near the Eye of Terror for my tastes and I cannot and will not let this planet fall to Chaos. You have your orders Captain. Carry them out. For the Emperor!"

At this Jayms nodded and turned back towards the marine barracks. His troops had a lot to prepare for in preparation for the drop. As he passed by the sensor station he noticed that there was four other ships in their battle group, all of which seemed to be preparing their troops for drop. Jayms got a sudden sense of unease but he quickly shrugged it off and kept going.

When he got to the barracks he noticed that all of his troops were in armor and beginning to load weapons. He walked up to his second-in-command, Sergeant Cort, and ordered that everyone assemble in the briefing theater in ten minutes. After that he turned away and went to the theater himself

As Jayms walked into the briefing theater he noticed that all of his company leaders had already shown up as well as the commissars from the Valhallans. He also noticed the arrival of the seven Princeps of the Legio Titanicus. He smiled briefly and then hit a button located on the holo-tank next to him. A holographic representation of Quaer appeared, marked out in sections and territories.

"As you can see here we are currently in orbit around Quaer. The planet is of average size and has no toxic atmosphere but I might add that the temperature is a constant seven Celsius, so it will be cold down there.

Our first strike, and hopefully only one, will be at the governmental complex in their capital, Iceflow. The city has been heavily fortified by multiple…former…Imperial Guard units so that it could be impregnable. The city is basically a large half-cut bowl, burned into the mountainside. Connecting the sides of the mountain are massive walls. On the top of these walls are gun emplacements as well as artillery.

Our strike will begin with the Titans pounding away at the walls and then the Dark Crusaders will storm the citadel and destroy the traitorous guards and hopefully end this conflict."

As Jayms looked at the Princeps one of them raised his hand.

"What weapons are we authorized to use for this engagement?"

Jayms stood and considered that for a second. Each of the seven Titans that were currently there had enough weapons to obliterate an army on their own. But the fact that he had seven of them had not entered his mind. Now that he thought about it they might be a bit much but the more he thought about it the more he remembered a saying from his former battle-master, "there is no such thing as overkill."

"You are authorized to use all weapons in appropriate circumstances."

The Princeps all nodded their heads and the other assembled leaders kept the stony looks on their faces. He could tell that they were all itching for battle and he knew that any force assembled against them would be destroyed. He looked out a nearby view port and gave an order that, unbeknownst to him, would echo throughout the history of the Imperium of Man.

"We deploy in seven hours. Get ready."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the surface the planet, a massive adamantium door, opened on a cliff face and a man stepped out. But the title "man" barely fit him. He was more machine than human. His legs and arms and much of his torso were mechanical and with each step his "body" made a hissing sound. He looked up into the night sky, his eyes focusing in on the _Justified Fear_ and the drop craft that it was vomiting forth. 

As he sat there watching a figure dressed in a long black cloak walked out and stood beside him.

"They really want me dead don't they Cancius?"

The man looked up at him in shock, having not heard him come up beside him. The shock quickly wore off and Cancius sighed.

"I think that they do my lord. They have hunted us down here. I am guessing that our operations on Terra did not go as unnoticed as we would have liked them."

The figure laughed at this, throwing his head back.

"I think that they did. But nevertheless our enemies are here on our doorstep. Is the Apocalyptum armor ready?"

"Yes sir. The Chosen have already been outfitted in it and everything is going on schedule."

"And the Terminator Apocalyptum armor?"

"Second Company has the standard whilst First Company is getting Assault variants as well."

"Good. Any sightings of the Grey Knights?"

"No sir. The Ordo Malleus has not left Titan. Our operatives on Titan have informed us that the only reason that they would scramble is a direct assault on Terra itself."

"Excellent. Everything is in place and the Dark Crusaders shall not disappoint. Make sure that our Titan is ready to go as well.

"Already done my lord. The _Casitor Vinus _is armed and supplied. They won't see it coming."

As he spoke they both turned to see vivid streaks of fire light up the sky nearby as the drop pods of the Dark Crusaders entered the atmosphere. Both of them looked up at the approaching storm with a sense of destiny.

Author's Note: Please review and let me know what you think. I am really trying to work hard on this story and any responses would be most welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: Thanks to Extartius for his helpful advice for chapter one. It caused me to rewrite a large portion of this chapter. Please read and review. Thank you.

Chapter 2

The rattle and shock of the drop pod threw Jayms against his restraints and threw his mind back into focus. He looked across the cramped pod at his other squad members and watched them closely. After the briefing he watched all of his troops run off to their stations and he began his own preparations.

The first stop on the way to the drop pods had been the chapel. There Chaplain Rasza had ministered to him. He and the Chaplain had an…interesting history. They never got along. When it came to matters of the Space Marines they were in complete agreement but in everything else they could not agree. Especially in matters of faith.

The Chaplain had joined them from Cadia after the end of Abbadon's Crusade. He had walked up to the Imperial Command post carrying the head of one of Abbadon's highest commanders. After an extreme and in-depth psychic investigation by the Psykers of Segmentum Command he was found to be extremely faithful to the Emperor and he also seemed to be very devout. Also, he possessed an extremely rare suit of Chaplain Terminator armor. His affinity with the Dark Crusaders had convinced his Chapter Master to allow him in, that and the fact that he possessed all of the Dark Crusader organs had been another factor. Jayms, however, had begun questioning why this stranger had so easily gained access to a Space Marine Chapter.

_Clang!_

The feel of his skull bouncing inside of his helmet quickly brought him back to the present. He quickly stole a glance at the drop counter on the inside of his helmet. The numbers, indicating their distance from the drop zone, were rapidly descending. So rapidly in fact that they started to blur. He had just started guessing where they were at when the twenty-second warning went off and he braced himself and saw the others do the same.

The rattling got worse and worse and then, without warning, the pod shook violently and rattled and then stopped. Jayms took a deep breath, counted to three, and hit the open button. Out poured his troops onto the battlefield. All around him he could hear bolters firing and see the pavement and ice chip, shatter or explode. He stole a quick glance at the sky and saw flights of Thunderhawks descending, carrying the heavy armor and tanks that they would need for the coming battle.

As he did a Guardsman ran up to him with a lasgun. Jayms calmly pointed his bolter and fired at the man, his flak vest absorbing none of the high speed bolt as it tore him to shreds. He ordered two squads up to assault a Guardsmen position and felt the ground rumble as a loyalist Leman Russ rumbled into firing position. He heard a yell and watched as the shells from the Leman Russ obliterated a bunker. He ordered more troops and equipment brought down from the fleet and watched as more flights of Thunderhawks dropped off tanks and heavy support equipment.

Bringing his full attention back to the battle at hand he noticed a squad of traitorous Guardsmen setting up a heavy bolter emplacement in a nearby tower. Jayms began to frantically look for one of his heavy weapons teams when he felt the ground tremble near him.

He turned around and stood looking into the optical slit of Ancient Tycor. Four thousand years ago, back when the chapter was first being formed, a large Ork force attacked the home planet of the Dark Crusaders, Destro. Furious fighting enveloped the planet and even the fortress-monastery was under siege. During the siege Tycor and his squad charged out one night, in the hopes of killing the Warboss and ending the siege. Tycor had charged and had killed the Warboss, but lost his whole squad and most of his body in the process. The chapter's apothecaries, having deemed that as an act of true herosim, and under orders from the chapter master, had entombed Tycor's body inside of the shell of a Dreadnought. Now he fought as a machine, never resting, never tired and ever vigilant.

Now he also was known as one of the most revered of all the Crusader veterans. For this reason Jayms treasured not only his wisdom and guidance but also the assault cannon attached to his arm, and the servo-claw on the other arm. No words passed between the marine and the walking tank he stood by. Jayms nodded and Ancient Tycor rotated his torso.

In the tower, a Commissar begin yelling orders to his troops. One of them picked up a crate of bolter shells and suddenly disappeared in a red cloud as assault shells tore through the rockcrete and plasteel walls of the tower. The Commissar looked at the remains of the man in amazement for a second.

It was a second too long.

The cannon salvo had been a distraction so that Ancient Tycor could make his way to the base of the tower. As he did a Guardsmen jumped out and tried to stick a grenade in his fuselage. Tycor spun and grabbed the man with his servo-claw. The man began to scream as Tycor rotated the claw faster and faster and then threw the man up in the air. He screamed as he flew up and then screamed again as his body landed on the top of the Commissar. The Commissar shook him off and looked over the edge to see an image of horror.

Tycor began swinging his claw into the tower's base over and over again. Finally he found the main plasteel support beam. He snapped it and began to quickly move away from the tower. The Commissar began laughing, not knowing what he did, and he ordered his troops to begin firing on the war machine. They had sighted their weapons when one of them let out a chilling scream. The Commissar turned and looked and watched sections of rockcrete fall down on top of his troops. He looked and watched in horror as the floor that he was standing on began to crumble and crack and he screamed as he fell down nine floors.

Jayms watched all of this with a smile on his face. His forces were rapidly coming near to the walls of Iceflow itself and he couldn't be happier. He turned and watched as an Imperial Guardsman lifted his lasgun and fired point blank into the stomach of a traitor. He watched as massive Ogryn lifted chunks of falling buildings and used them to crush their opponents.

Basilisk artillery fired massive Earthshaker rounds into the city walls and Jayms watched as towers, built to house cannon emplacements, collapsed. He ordered more troops forward to fill gaps in the lines and he watched his troops steal meter after meter of ground from the traitors.

Hearing a loud explosion he turned towards the city walls and watched as two _Imperator_-class Titans pounded them into oblivion. Over and over again plasma cannons and turbo lasers and volcano cannons fired into the walls. He was just about to charge the walls when he heard a faint clicking sound. Tuning out everything else he focused on finding the sound. He searched high and low across the battlefield. Yet every bunker he walked into was empty of sound. Every crater had only the hollow ring of death to it. He was about to go mad when he noticed a dark figure run into the ruins of a nearby building. Temper flaring he ran in after it.

As he entered the ruins he clicked back the locking bar on his bolter. The ruins were dark except for the occasional flash of explosions outside. As Jayms ran further inside he could…feel the presence of someone else there. He began searching high and low for them, whoever they were. He checked the bottom floor first. Its blown out walls evident of the heavy fighting that had gone on inside of it. As he ran up the stairs he felt _something_ invade his mind.

He jumped back down the steps, just in time to be hit by a blast of psyker energy, leaving him immobile and lying on the ground. As he lay there he could see a dark figure, wearing heavy robes, come around a corner and look at him. The figure's face was hidden by the hood of his robes and not even the flashes of light from the nearby artillery could illuminate it. When he spoke Jayms felt an odd sense of peace come over him.

"Hello Captain. You don't know who I am but I know who you are. You have been lied to about this planet. It is not what you have been told. There is no taint of Chaos here. The archenemy is not here. In this instance Imperial Intelligence was wrong. The reason that you are here is completely different than what you think."

Jayms looked at the figure in a mixture of anger and awe. How he knew what the Imperium was there for was amazing. He must have been a psyker but how one so large could have escaped detection on an Imperial world was beyond him. The figure turned his head, as if listening to an oncoming sound. He turned towards Jayms and looked at him and then hurried out. As he did his lingering voice remained for a moment longer.

"We will meet again captain."

Jayms lay there for another hour before one of his troops came and got him.

* * *

Admiral Jovavich sat in his quarters and stared out the view port at the Eye of Terror. As he did he felt the pressure in the room change and he turned around slowly. Standing behind him stood Rasza, wearing his Chaplain Terminator armor.

The admiral could not believe the sheer superiority that this Astartes must have to enter his chambers! Especially unannounced! Yaris could not keep the anger out of his voice.

"How dare you enter my sacred chambers! Who do you think you-"

A harsh scowl shut the admiral up quite quickly. He trembled in anger at what this marine had dared to do!. As he watched the figure began to change. His armor grew more sick and far more cruel. The figure looked at him and flicked back its long ponytail, strung above his head in an adamantium tube. He turned his attention back to the admiral and let out a little laugh.

"I have come to take command. It is time that this war came back under the command of its true masters. Your…gift…is given you."

Then Yaris let out a scream and grabbed his head as long talons burst from his back and the skin on his body mutated. Rasza watched all of this without flinching. With every scream he smiled more and more. The admiral's torment was…delicious.

As the admiral's mutation finished Rasza could feel pressure changes as Chaos Space Marines warped onto the ship. He could feel Chaos beginning to infect every small part of the warship, feeling the horror that was slowly enveloping it and changing it. Now it was time to show who he truly was!

Abbadon the Despoiler smiled. His Black Crusade had been stopped by the…creature before him but now that creature served him. The admiral, if you would still call…it that, writhed in agony. Abbadon laughed.

Now was the time for his forces to show their true face! The face of Chaos Undivided!


	3. Chapter 3

The siege of Iceflow was proceeding quite well. Jayms looked out of his Land Raider at the walls of the city and his visor dimmed as a Titan launched yet another salvo against it. Bright flashes of light flared as shell after shell impacted the walls and as plasma blasts melted the rockcrete. Jayms smiled as chunks of the wall collapsed and crushed the buildings that butted up against the wall. He turned as he heard the doors creak open. Standing at the entrance to the Land Raider was Tycor, his assault cannon replaced by his other arm.

"Could I help you Anicent?"

Tycor rotated on his legs and made as if Jayms should follow him. Jayms began walking down the ramp. He stood beside the Dreadnought and it started walking away from the Land Raider. After they had walked a couple of hundred meters away from the command post Jayms com-unit beeped. He turned it on and Tycor's metallic voice resounded in his helmet.

"We are in danger."

Jayms stopped walking in shock and Tycor turned towards him.

"I intercepted a message from the _Justified Fear_ to the Valhalan Commissars as well as to Brother-Sergeant Cort and six of the seven princeps. The message stated that any and all troops not "compliant to the change" should be eliminated. It also stated that we were expendable assets that should be expended as soon as possible. Cort signaled back stating that he would take care of it himself. The princeps signaled back that they would take care of the_ Imperialis Veritas_."

"Does Princeps Jonesin know of this?"

"I was awaiting your orders on it captain."

Jayms pondered for a moment and then came to a decision.

"How far away is the _Imperialis Veritas_?"

Tycor fell silent for a moment as calculations ran through his head and numbers were checked and rechecked. Finally Tycor spoke again.

"It is located on the edge of the siege zone. It is surrounded by three Valhalan Basilisks and is currently tasked with pounding the wall. Why do you ask?"

"Because I think that it might be our chance at survival."

Tycor gave a barely perceptible nod and made to move off towards the command post. He stopped and turned back towards Jayms.

"You will have to face off against Cort. You know this right?"

Jayms nodded. Cort was an enemy now, even if he didn't realize that Jayms knew. As they got back to the command post they could see a lot more movement and action than when they had left. Jayms looked around and saw Space Marines, no longer his Marines he realized, moving and getting weapons ready. Jayms and Tycor slowly made their way through the command area and towards the siege zone, and the _Imperialis Veritas_.

As they drew closer Jayms opened up a direct channel to Princep Jonesin. He pinged it twice before a gruff voice answered.

"What do you want?"

"Princep Jonesin this is Captain Jayms. I need you to not show any emotion or betray who you are talking to. Is this understood?"

"Yes, but why?"

"We have been declared to be…expendable by command and your fellow princeps and my Space Marines, as well as the Imperial Guard, will soon turn on us and try to kill us. The reason for this I do not yet know but the attacks will most likely begin soon. Do you understand?"

"Everything but the reasons but I guess that those are hidden from all currently?"

"Correct. Are both of your moderati loyal to you?"

"I was given three for this mission. Command requested it."

"Are all three loyal to you?"

There was a brief pause and Jayms could hear sounds in the background over the channel, including what sounded like a brief las-pistol discharge. He was about to ask what was going on when Princep Jonesin came back on.

"Everyone here is loyal to me."

"Good. Myself and the Ancient Tycor are coming onboard. We have to get out of here before the others turn their weapons on us."

"Understood. We await your arrival."

They were ten meters from the entrance to the Titan when Tycor spun around and let out a low sound. Jayms turned and saw Cort coming towards him with a group of Imperial Guardsmen. Without anyone noticing Jayms flicked the safety off of his bolter and stood there. Cort was the first to speak.

"Where are you going Brother-Captain?"

"I thought it prudent to discuss the matters of the siege with Princep Jonesin. Is there a problem Brother-Sergeant?"

"No problem sir. The thing is though…we have just found some very disturbing items in your quarters."

Jayms slowly slid his hand to rest, casually, on the grip of his bolter and he could hear, thanks to his enhanced hearing, the barely perceptible clicking that was Tycor's storm bolters locking shells into place. Cort had also slid his hand to his side, to about the area that his plasma pistol was located.

"What disturbing items did you find sergeant?"

Cort suddenly drew his plasma pistol and pointed it at Jayms face. At that same moment the Guardsmen drew their lasrifles and pointed them at Tycor. Jayms face, hidden behind his helmet, grimaced with the thought of what was about to happen.

"Ex-Captain Jayms of the Dark Crusaders, you have been found guilty of harboring items and icons of heretical teachings. You are hereby sentenced to death. I am here to carry out the sentence."

Jayms looked at Cort and grimaced. As he did he pinged Tycor and brought his own weapon to bear.

"I don't believe in Chaos Cort, and you know this. Why would you say such a thing?"

"I didn't say Chaos, did I? I simply said heresy!"

Cort took off his helmet and smiled. Jayms stared in shock at the symbol carved into his skin above his right eye. It was the eight-pointed star of Chaos. Cort was a traitor to the Imperium and everything he had been raised to fight!

"And faith in the Emperor is heresy where the Chaos Gods are concerned."

"Why Cort? Why would you betray the Imperium? Why would you lose faith in the Emperor?"

"Faith? In the Emperor? I prefer to put my faith in living gods, rather than a corpse whose only claim to worship is that he rots on a throne. Chaos shall return everything to its rightful place!"

Jayms was shocked for a few seconds by the utter truth of the betrayal that Cort had done. Jayms now looked at one of his oldest friends through the lens of his faith in the Emperor and he saw one thing.

His enemy.

This was so much so that, when Cort threw his head back to laugh at his "triumph," Jayms calmly brought his bolter up and discharged multiple rounds through his exposed face.

As this was happening the Guardsmen learned that their weapons were of no use against the armored shell of a dreadnought. However, his storm bolters were of great use against them. As their shredded and steaming bodies dropped to the cold snow, and Cort's joined them, Jayms heard a loud humming-whistle and he recognized the tell tale sound of a warming lascannon. He turned and watched as a nearby Land Raider fired at Jayms and Tycor. The beam suddenly stopped a few meters away from them. Jayms then realized that the void shields of the Titan had protected them. Behind him he heard the doors on the Titan's leg snick open and he jumped through and activated the crane servitor to get Tycor inside.

As he did two members of the Titan's crew came out of the elevator. Jayms looked and noticed that they were carrying a large bag between them. He pushed it from his mind after they threw the bag out the door and, when Tycor was aboard, shut the door and led the way up to the bridge. As they were going up Jayms heard, and felt, the guns of the Titan firing. As Jayms and Tycor stepped foot on the bridge they were greeted by a cacophony of sounds and explosions. Jayms watched as the Titan simply crushed a Leman Russ with one foot and heard the clang of the Hellstorm cannon as it vaporized a Land Raider.

Princeps Jonesin stared pointedly at the screens and displays in front of him, concentrating at the battle at hand. As Jayms looked around the bridge he noticed two things. One: there were only two moderati in their seats. Two: in the third moderati seat there was a large bloodstain about head level.

Jayms smiled at this and proceeded to stand beside the Princep. The Titan shuddered as several salvos from the renegade Titans hit the void shields. Princep Jonesin grunted and twisted his face in pain as he ordered his crew to open fire on a nearby Titan. Jayms watched as precise shots from the _Imperialis Veritas_ impacted and blew through the void shields of the opposing Titan.

Jayms watched with a small bit of sadness as formerly loyal soldiers of the Imperium were killed as the other Titan's reactor went critical. In the ensuing explosion Princeps Jonesin ordered the _Imperialis Veritas_ down the mountains and into a nearby valley.

Jayms was slightly confused by this and so he spoke up.

"Princeps, what are we doing?"

Princeps Jonesin barely cast a side glance at him as he responded.

"We are going to get you out of here. My Titan cannot survive out there all alone, without support craft. What needs to happen is this, you need to get off world and gain the assistance of the rest of the Imperium."

As he spoke everyone on the bridge stumbled as the Titan shook. Jayms, never having been a Titan crewman, was curious as to why this had happened, but Princeps Jonesin shouted out commands.

"What was that?!"

One of his Moderatii responded back to him.

"We just lost our upper rear void shield generator. Lower generator is compensating but right now the strength of our rear void shields is sitting at about 34."

Almost as if to punctuate his words the Titan rocked quite violently and everyone standing stumbled and fell.

"Make that 24 sir!"

"What is going on out there?!"

"The _Glory of Tacitus_ and the _Orbitas Corruptus_ are assaulting are rear. The _Kylean Hope_ is moving to attack our front. The other three Titans are staying out of the fight for now."

Princeps Jonesin smiled a grim smile.

"Train all guns on the _Kylean Hope_ and destroy it."

As the _Imperialis Veritas _moved forward to strike, the _Glory of Taictus_ let out a salvo from its turbo laser cannon. The bright beam splashed against the void shields of the _Imperialis Veritas_ and the point-defense system of the _Imperialis Veritas_ suddenly made their presence known. The twirling cannons on the Titan's rear bastions came to life and began pumping shell after shell into the assaulting enemies. The _Glory of Tacitus_'s void shields held and the shells simply exploded on the shield. The _Orbitas Corruptus_, however, was not so lucky.

The first salvo from the _Imperialis Veritas_ struck true and knocked out the front void shield generators for the Titan. With that horrible damage initially done the following shots simply took advantage of the lack of protection to reap as much damage against their enemy as they could. The _Orbitas Corruptus_'s left arm exploded in a shower of metal and plasma as its main cannon exploded. Almost animalistic in what it did next, the _Orbitas Corruptus _lifted its destroyed arm and charged the _Imperialis Veritas_, seemingly abandoning any civilized form of combat. As they neared each other the point-defenses on the _Orbitas Corruptus _came to life and started firing back at the _Imperialis Veritas_.

Now shells from the traitors started striking against the already weakened rear void shields of the loyalists. As shell after shell impacted the void shields one of them found its way through and destroyed one of the rear point-defenses on the _Imperialis Veritas_. Princeps Jonesin grunted at the destruction of parts of his Titan and began formulating a plan. When it finally finished forming he turned to Jayms and Tycor.

"I need you each to get into a different escape craft."

Jayms gave him a quizzical look and was about to question why when one of the Moderatii let out a scream of terror. They turned to look at the view screen and watched as the plasma cannon, the only truly operable weapon left on the _Kylean Hope_, fired at them.

The beam, like a thin finger of blue sunlight laced in crackling energy, crashed into the front of the _Imperialis Veritas_. The plasma beam melting into the front plates of armor. As it did consoles on the bridge exploded, showering the bridge crew in sparks. Princeps Jonesin attempted to shove Jayms towards the escape craft. Attempted being the correct word as no normal man could truly shove a Space Marine in his power armor.

But a dreadnought would have no problem picking one up, as Tycor quickly demonstrated.

Princeps Jonesin ran to the doors and opened up both escape craft doors. Tycor threw Jayms in one and walked into the other. Before he closed the doors Jayms heard the Titan commander say something almost underneath his breath.

"Commend our souls to the Emperor."

With that the button was pushed and Jayms felt the craft shake as it was raised to launch height. The view windows opened on both of them and he could look across and see Tycor connecting his dreadnought's system into the control interface of the craft. Jayms took the hint and seated himself at the control console. As they reached launch height he could feel the engines kick in and could hear the rumbling of a firing plasma cannon striking nearby. As they launched Jayms turned to look back at the _Imperial Veritas_ in horror.

The other three Titans had joined in the fight and were pounding the _Imperialis Veritas_. He watched as a vulcan heavy bolter salvo from the _Imperialis Veritas_ tore into one of its attackers flanks, shredding armor and weaponry. For a few seconds it looked like the _Imperialis Vertas_ might be able to hold their own. But it was not to be.

A lucky shot from one of the attacking Titans hit the _Imperialis Veritas _in the head and Jayms watched in absolute sadness as a lucky shot from the _Kylean Hope_'s Volcano Cannon tore straight through the weakened void shields of the _Imperialis Veritas_ and obliterated the bridge. The massive Titan slowly folded onto its knees and toppled forward and fell to the ground. But its death was not in vain.

The rapidly fluctuating plasma reactor of the _Imperialis Veritas_, now devoid of any Mechanicum assistance, began to go critical. The resulting explosion destroyed two other Titans as well as a large portion of the army. Princeps Jonesin's last act was a good one.

However, the explosion also threw out shards of armor that tore into both of the escape craft. Jayms was lucky in that the tail of his craft was only clipped, taking away some of its maneuverability. Tycor, however, was not so lucky.

The flaming armor tore chunks out of his flyer. Jayms watched in horror as his escape craft burst into flames and went tumbling down into the thick forests and snow caps of the northern forests. Jayms could spare barely a passing thought on what had just happened when a stray lascannon shot melted through his wings. As they fell off Jayms felt his flyer begin to twirl as the ground grew closer and closer.

Jaym's last thought before he hit the ground was that the traitors had won.

Then the world turned black.

* * *

Adept Mikal walked down the halls of the Fortress of Hera towards the Shrine of the Primarch. His duty was a rather glorious one if he could say so himself. He was responsible for checking the holy stasis fields protecting Roboute Guilliman, the Primarch of the Ultramarines. He smiled at the greatness of the task he had been assigned.

As he entered the Temple of Correction he noticed something. The room was totally quiet, devoid even of the background hum of the stasis field. As he wondered why a horrible thought came to mind and he ran into the central room. What he saw there confirmed his worst fears and he ran again, but this time to find the Chapter Master.

He had terrible news to give him. News so awful that it would most likely destroy the morale of the Ultramarines. Adept Mikal tried to think about how to deliver this news but in the end he decided that it just needed to be said. How the Chapter Master reacted would be the other part of the equation. But he was still astounded at what he had seen.

Primarch Roboute Guilliman, founder of the Ultramarines, creator of the Codex Astartes, wounded in battle ten thousand years ago and having been in a stasis field since then, was gone. Not just missing but gone.


End file.
